Target Training Shy Snakes

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Does your snake hide "all the time", hide "a lot" in general, or just retreat into hiding when you enter the room? Shy snakes require a little more work to habituate to life with humans and to feel comfortable being out in the open when their human caretaker or human family is present. As with anything, there is more than one way to get snakes used to being around people without perceiving them as a threat or potential threat, target training is just one way. It may not be the best choice for every snake. I have had success working with shy snakes using other methods such as passive habituation and puzzle feeding; however, in this video I will go over target training specifically as one option to work with a shy snake that "you never see" because they hide a lot.
www.behavioreducation.org/
www.clickertraining.com/the-ten-laws-of-shaping-revisited
www.clickertraining.com/files/the-modern-principles-of-shaping-SF-edits.pdf

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23 ноя 2020

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Комментарии : 47

@reptilesRnice 3 года назад

I'd never thought to try target training before, for 15 years I'd always got my snakes to associate tapping on their enclosures with food. That way my really shy and defensive snakes would relax quickly when they realised I was their to feed them and come towards me willingly, was useful when I took them out for exercise too. Got my shy snakes friendly that way but will try this technique in future too!

@kimspurre1242 2 года назад

Thanks for directing me to this video. Both snakes are beautiful. Auescelupian so cautious and dainty when he takes his food like a gentleman. The window in the hide is genius! Considering that the snake would only be training at feeding time, habituating first so that the snakes see the target daily makes total sense. That way snake could memorise target(?) since would be seeing only every 2 weeks or so when fed. Your spotted python is awesome. Movement of pythons so different than that of colubrids. Would love to see their progress someday.

@twigandsnip Год назад

Thanks Lori!

@LoriTorrini Год назад

Thank you so much!

@nimowy 2 года назад

This was very well explained and helpful, thank you!

@LoriTorrini 2 года назад

I’m glad it helped you!

@leafystreet 2 года назад

if you're targeting training your snake to come out of the enclosure, using food as the reinforcer, would the snake just enter a food driven mode when seeing the target and be at risk for biting when handling?

@LoriTorrini 2 года назад

No. That’s one of the things the snake is learning with target training. They aren’t learning to go into food mode they’re learning that earning reinforcement is contingent upon performing a specific behavior so they’re in thinking mode. It teaches them impulse control and appraisal and with snakes with very reactive feeding responses it calms the feeding response. We aren’t teaching the snakes the target means food in this case. We are teaching them reinforcement is contingent on something else and reinforcement isn’t always food. Pairing the target directly with food is just the first step to get them started and we move beyond that very quickly.

@leafystreet 2 года назад

@@LoriTorrini thank you very much

@LoriTorrini 2 года назад

@@leafystreet Please contact me if you have questions. I realize people who aren’t trainers already may run into things they’re unsure about.

@shanroot06 2 года назад

Hi Lori. Thank you so much for all of your videos! I'm a surprise ball python caregiver (and I'm quite afraid of snakes) so your approach-retreat method is helping both of us handle our nerves actually. I have a question. I've read contradictory info about feeding in the enclosure vs in a designated feeding container. So far, I've been feeding in a designated container and transporting the snake there and back via a snake hook. He seems very unhappy about the hook *after* his meals and I want to do this target training so we can move beyond that. I notice you do plenty of feeding in their enclosures and even when they strike their food, you tend to help them get back in before really releasing the food from your tongs. Can you share a little bit about if there are any guidelines or restrictions you tend to with feeding in their primary enclosures?

@LoriTorrini 2 года назад

I feed them where I am training them so sometimes that is inside or near their enclosures and sometimes it’s out or even at the vet during an appointment. Snakes leave their dens or trees or places of rest to him for food or find spots to wait in and catch food; then they travel back to their places of safety. It doesn’t matter where you feed them provided they are comfortable and relaxed with the activity and not distressed by other things happening. There are exceptions. For instance we have one snake that is very distressed and panicked by being fed in his enclosure and we have another that his distressed by any slight change and doesn’t come out of her enclosure so eats inside.

@cailinlouise5185 2 года назад

New to your videos, you make it look so easy🤣 I'm new to being a snake owner and currently have a het albino carpet python who never Hides away and not shy on eating but can be a little difficult to get her out of her enclosure, she spends almost 100% of her time in her hammock out in the open and have only seen her come to the glass once in 2 months. She is in a 4x2x2 and I really want to encourage her to come out of her own either for a cuddle or to go on her basking stand. I will be trying this training to see how she dose.

@LoriTorrini 2 года назад

Is she a Darwin Carpet? They’re very intelligent and mine do well with target training to shift out but aren’t very good about physical handling. They’re not really a “cuddly” animal.

@cailinlouise5185 2 года назад

@@LoriTorrini she is a 1 year old bredli only had her for just on 3 months, once she is out her enclosure she is fine but can become a little jumpy seems to not really relax. I do get her out every day if I can (depends on work hours). I think after watching your videos I need to show her iam no threat to her and ultimately would love to see her come out of her enclosure when doors are open on her own. Thanks for your reply

@thinriches 2 года назад

I'm really enjoying your videos on training. I'm learning a lot and yet I learn best visually so i'm stuck looking at the tiny window. So, me being me, I started thinking "how would I fix that" and my thought was to film vertical and post on youtube as a split screen. Then chop it up into 3 minute or less segments and upload that to TikTok. They'd love this over there. Anyway, just an idea. I have a big TV i canplay this on so i can see OK :D

@LoriTorrini 2 года назад

If you go to the Snake Training playlist those videos are all full screen training sessions of the snakes without the instructional slides. I usually narrate what’s going on with just a voiceover so you’re seeing the session and not me. Check those out and see if those are more helpful for you than the lecture format. Let me know.

@Shades1535 2 года назад

If the snakes are already used to taking from tongs and eating in front of us would it be advisable to skip the habituation portion and immediately start pairing food on tongs with the target? My issue is they are shy when it comes to being coaxed out of hiding but not necessarily when it comes to feeding.

@LoriTorrini 2 года назад

Yes. This video is for snakes who are specifically shut and fearful. Watch the regular target training video if yours makes already ring feeding and eating with you there. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_vkqbJWHwwk.html

@loriw2661 2 года назад

So glad you pointed me to this video. My snake won’t eat if I leave her food in her enclosure. She has to strike and coil it from the tongs. If I just leave it in there she has a tough time finding the head. Lol! Maybe I’ll put the target in there so she can get use to it and then on feeding day, put it in there and when she acknowledges it, offer the food. Would that work?

@LoriTorrini 2 года назад

Have you watched the regular target training video? The one for snake eating from tongs? I’ll link it here. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_vkqbJWHwwk.html

@speedymadr6 3 года назад

Thanks for this video Lori. Our Pueblan Milk Snake is very shy and I have been wondering how we can introduce target training. Will give the placement of a target a go. We have a slate coaster which we feed her on and she comes and takes it when we are not present so will replace the slate with something else.

@LoriTorrini 3 года назад

You can set whatever target you decide to use on top of the slate of the snake is already used to the food being there, I would just add the target.

@speedymadr6 3 года назад

@@LoriTorrini thanks for the tip 👍

@brewkeepyr4647 3 года назад

I have a juvenile Florida kingsnake that is in a bioactive set up. His hides are all buried in the substrate. There are 5 planted plants and lots of natural woods, rocks for enrichment. He sees me and is gone. Not sure how this will work since he has so many burrows and hides and I never know where he is. Any suggestions for this scenario?

@LoriTorrini 3 года назад

Start at the very first step I showed in the video, leave the target with the food on it in the enclosure with him. You don’t have to stay there after that. Once he’s taking it off the target in his own time, you can hopefully progress from there as in the video.

@shannonp2321 3 года назад

I plan to start target training my honduran milk snake who is shy but has actually successfully come out a few times with patient choice handling. :) I am curious how target training will work for a burrowing snake though, is there any insight or advice you could give for this?

@LoriTorrini 3 года назад

The same as in this video. They will come out to eat. How are you feeding the burrowing snake now? If you’re leaving the prey in the enclosure start pairing it with the target by placing the food on the target inside the enclosure. Eventually they start coming out when the target is placed down. If you need a signal to get their attention first you can choose to use a scent, light, or sound presented first followed by the target with food. They should learn when they notice the first signal that they should come out to find their food (which is paired with the target) and you work from there.

@shannonp2321 3 года назад

@@LoriTorrini Okay great thank you! I usually only feed if I'm able to see her in a hide or if I see at least part of her through her tunnel entries. Then I lure her with the scent of the food. But I will try using a sound cue so I can possibly teach her to communicate even when she isn't visible. Thank you!!

@notyah2411 11 месяцев назад

Where do you get the see through hides.

@LoriTorrini 11 месяцев назад

They are storage tubs or food storage containers.

@brewkeepyr4647 3 года назад

I should add.... I feed him at different times as well. Only at dusk cause that's when he usually comes out after misting his enclosure. But, I feed him on different days... always anywhere between 5 to 8 days. I feel that mimics more random opportunities to feed as it would be in the wild. They don't eat every seven days in the wild...so that's my thought process anyway. Thanks

@LoriTorrini 3 года назад

Yes, I do behavior based feeding so they eat at different intervals depending on the species. It may end up being 10 days or 3 weeks for example.

@brewkeepyr4647 3 года назад

Excellent!! I'm going to give it a go. I very much appreciate your quick response! I'm recently back in the hobby after years and years away. I had a nice collection back in the day (80's lol) Love your channel and look forward to learning more and more 😊 P.S. On initial introduction to the target: how long should you leave it in the enclosure before re-introducing it with food? That part I wasn't 100% clear on. Thanks again

@LoriTorrini 3 года назад

@@brewkeepyr4647 A few hours or overnight. I don’t leave it longer than overnight. If they haven’t eaten it for that long I remove everything and try again another time. Kingsnakes are usually good feeders and active hunters so hopefully once you leave the room yours forages for it and finds the prey. After several times he should start associating the food with the target.

@wofncsfan7045 Месяц назад

I have an African house snake, gonna target train him. Pretty sure he can recognise me

@jacquiking8643 9 месяцев назад

Can snakes be clicker trained?

@LoriTorrini 9 месяцев назад

They can be marker trained, yes. I recommend using a more salient marker for them than a clicker which they likely will not easily be able to hear or distinguish. I marked train with other signals.

@MaliciousMollusc 3 года назад

But how do you train overzealous kingsnakes?

@LoriTorrini 3 года назад

That’s the opposite of training shy snakes. I have videos posted of working with our king snakes. Start by pairing the target with food and as they build an association between the target and food, you show just the target and then reinforce the slightest orientation towards it and build up from there. You can also start with or combine puzzle feeding and foraging exercises with the target training or separate from it. I also have several videos up of training our False Water Cobra who is 100 times more overzealous than a Kingsnake. You should be able to search my name and then king snake or whatever species you’re looking at finding the videos for.

@MaliciousMollusc 3 года назад

@@LoriTorrini I'll give it a shot, thank you!

@cozymonk Год назад

Is there any reason so many of your targets are blue or is it just coincidence?

@LoriTorrini Год назад

Yes. Pythons, boas, and many other snakes cannot see colors outside of the blue-green wavelengths. All evidence indicates they can perch e blues and greens. Other colors appear as shades of grey to them. They may be able perceive some yellow.

@cozymonk Год назад

@@LoriTorrini That's really fascinating; thanks for the info! I wonder if there is a natural advantage to seeing blue. Blue is a really rare color in nature. Maybe it helps them recognize the iridescence of other boas and pythons?

@notyah2411 11 месяцев назад

If the snake only comes out at night how will it recognise the colour.

@LoriTorrini 11 месяцев назад

Some snakes see very well at night and have good night vision depending on the species; however, it is ok to turn on room lights or other dim lights when training. I don’t recommend training in the dark.